[Surgical repair of inguinal hernia by the Shouldice technique under local anesthesia]

The author evaluates the results of the surgical correction of inguinal hernia by Shouldice's technique, under local anesthesia, in a group of 62 patients, most of them elder and of high risk. The patients remained in the hospital one day. Bupivacaine 0.5%, associated with vasoconstrictor was used. The operative results were considered good in 94.9% of cases, regular in 3.4% and bad in 1.7%. No major complications occurred; in three patient small hematomas formed inside the surgical wound, the drainage of which was however not necessary. In a 3-year follow-up only one patient had recurrence of the hernia.